Two years ago, the worst government in the history of the State was succeeded by a Coalition which had secured the largest electoral mandate since Sinn Fein in 1918.

However, after little more than two years, the support levels of the Grumpy Old Men (and a couple of token women too!) are sliding ever closer to those experienced by poor Brian Cowen and his wretched crew.

Like the classic conclusion to Orwell's dystopian Animal Farm, our voters are finding it increasingly difficult to see the difference between the Fine Gael and Labour pigs and the former Fianna Fail/Green Party pigs... and, of course, Mary Harney, the last remaining PD pig, too.

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